Apparatus for manufacturing metal closures



2 Sheets-Sheet l I: nnrm B. J. HUNTSMAN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING METAL CLQSURES Filed Oct. 24, 1934 Illll HHHIHHIHHIHHHIHHIIIIIIIHIHIIIIIIIllI June 30, 1936.

Zhwentor attorney ,Bert Jflunisman III I llllllllllllllfllllllh ,J IIHIHIHHIIHIHIHIllIIIHIHHIII III I Mb llllllllIlllllIIIIIllllmlllllll'llllllllllllllllllllll June 30, 1936. B. J. HUNTSMAN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING METAL GLOSURES Filed Oct. 24, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bnnentor fi J Hantd'man A Mym Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING LIETAL CLOSURES Bert J. Huntsman, Wheeling, W. Va., assignor to Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, Wheeling,

W.- Via, a corporation of West Virginia ,Appllcation'octobcr 24, 1934, Serial No. 749,855

90laim8.

chines the thread and the bead are formed si-- multaneously; and consequently when relatively deep threads are formed there is a tendency to stretch the metal, which sometimes results in breaking or splitting the threads. This happens because the metal is gripped at one end by the knurling tools and at the other end by the bead curling tools, so that the metal is not free to 5 flow in forming the deep threads. In the machine constituting the present invention the skirt of the blank is free while the threads are being formed, whereby the skirt can freely shrink while the deep threads are rolled. Heretofore several machines have been suggested in which the skirt of the blank is free while the thread is being rolled, but such machines are either very complex or involve rather expensive changes in the present conventional equipment. One of the objects of the present invention is" to provide a machine of this character which requires only a slight change in the conventional threading equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a very simple cap threading machine, of the character, described above, in which it is possible to easily and quickly reverse the order of operation, so that the threads may first be formed, followed by the forming of the bead, or

forming of the threads. 4

Another object of the invention is to provide a threading machine of the character described,

which eliminates the tendency of the tool to slip the shell'coating.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the thread grooves will exactly match at all times, thereby eliminating the kink or bump which is sometimes formed in caps where the thread overlaps, when using the conventional threading machines.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of the cap' forming machine, and showing the bead may first be formed followed by the and well known in conventional threading maon the shell, with a consequent disfiguration of the tools in inoperative position, and with a hatshaped blank mounted on the male chuck.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the tools moved to operative position and forming the thread on the blank, while the flange 5 on the blank remains free.

Figure 3 is a similar view but showing the thread completed and the bead being formed.

Figure 4 is a detail front view of the beading ring 'removed from the machine.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the threading ring removed from the machine; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the threading ring.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, nu-

merals l and 2 refer to the usual spindles of the conventional threading machines. These spindles are mounted for rotation and are relatively. movable toward and from each other. The means for rotating these spindles in synchronized relation, and the means for relatively mov-'- ing the spindles toward and from each other, are old and well known, and per se form no part of the present invention. Accordingly it is unnecessary to illustrate these means.

Keyed or'otherwise removably secured to the spindle I are'the male threading ring 3, knurling ring 4 and curling ring 5. A blank or shell 6, preferably hat-shaped, is placed on the male chuck by any suitable feeding device or by hand, at and a rotatably mounted disc I is moved forward to engage the top of the blank to hold the latter firmly in place during the forming opera tions. v

All of the apparatus thus far described is old chines. Such machines also include knurling, threading and curling rings mounted on the spindle 2. Such rings are quite similar to the rings 3, l and 5 shown mounted on spindle I. 40 The knurling rings on spindles I and 2, of the conventional threading machines, are of the same diameter, and the threading ring on spindle 2 is therefore of slightly greater diameter than the threading ring on spindle I', so that when a complete revolution has been made the thread grooves in the threading rings will not match the thread already rolled in the capI with the result that a kink or'bump is often formed in the cap thread at the point where the thread overlaps. V

Also in the conventional threading machines, the curling ring is provided with a groove throughout its entire circumference, toreceive the flange on the hat-shaped blank and curl it .into the finishing bead. Thus when the male and female chucks are laterally moved relatively to bring them into operative relation, all three of the rings, i. e., the knurling, threading and curl- 5 ing rings, come into play simultaneously, and the knurl, the thread and the head are formed simultaneously. This simultaneous forming action has two disadvantageous results. First, as the metal is gripped by the curling rings in the beading p- 10 eration the skirt is not free to shrink while the thread is being rolled, and if deep threads are being rolled the metal is stretched so that breaking or splitting of the threads sometimes results; and second, due to the simultaneous for- 15 mation of the knurl, thread and bead, considerable pressure is required, and consequently there is a pronounced tendency of the tools to slip on the shell, whereby some of the coating or finish is torn from the shell.

20 All of the above mentioned and other disadvantages of the conventional threading machine are eliminated by a slight and inexpensive change, as will now be described.

In the machine constituting the present invention both the male and female chucks revolve at the same peripheral speed, as is the case in the conventional machines, but in accordance with the present invention the diameter of the female chuck is made larger than the diameter of the 3 male chuck by such an amount that when the female chuck has made part of one revolution the male chuck has turned enough to cause the desired amount of thread to be rolled; and the thread having been completed the curling rings 3 5 then come into play and form the bead.

' The construction will be more clearly understood by reference to the drawings. Keyed or otherwise removably secured to the spindle 2 are knurling ring 8, threading ring sand curling ring 40 II. The threading ring 9 is provided with the desired thread 9', and this thread extends only part way around the threading ring, about half way around it in the specific form illustrated. It will be understood, however, that the diameter I 5 of the female threading ring is considerably greater than that of the male threading ring, so

that when the female threading ring has made about a half revolution, in thespecific form illustrated, the male threading ring will have rotated 5 sumciently to complete the thread.

The thread has been completed during the half turn of the female chuck, and during this time the flange I of the blank 6 has been entirely free,

as it has been travelling in a cut-out portion I! p! the curling ring III, as clearly shown in Figure 2; and hence the skirt 9f the blank has been fine to shrink while the thread'was being rolled, thereby permitting the rolling of deep threads without stretching the metal. Upon completion .0 of the thread the curling groove It" comes into play and forms the head. .This curling groove ll extends about half way around the curling ring It, and as clearly shown in the drawings the curling ring and the threading ring are oppo- 65 sitely arranged, so that substantially one half of the circumference of the female chu is threaded and the opposite half of the circumference comprises the curling groove Ill". The thread and bead having been formed as above described,

70 the male and female chucks are moved laterally apart to permit removal of the completed cap; the diameter of the completed cap bei greater than that of the male chuck in accordance with conventional practice,. to permit easy removal.

75 While I have described the'threading action a! preceding the curling action, it will be understood of course that the bead can be formed first, followed by the formation of the thread; it being only necessary to shift the threading and curling rings through 180 on the spindle 2, and by refer- 5 ence to Figures 4 and 5 it will be notedthat diametrically opposed keyways areprovided for that purpose. No particular description of the'knurling operation has been given, as it remains substantially .the same asin the conventional thread- 10 ing machines. The diameter of the knurling ring 8 on spindle 2 is, of course, considerably greater than the similar knurling ring of the conven- I tional machines, but their actions remain substantially the same.

From the foregoing description it will be imderstood that the only change necessary in the conventional threading machine is to make the female chuck larger than the conventional female chuck, so that the threading operation can be completed during partial rotation of the female chuck and the beading operation performed during another portion of the rotation.

By reason of this simple change in structure it is possible to roll deep threads without danger of stretching and breaking the metal, for the skirt of the blank or shell is entirely free to shrink while the thread is being\ rolled. Also, this slight change in structure permits the threading and curling operation to be reversed, so-that the blank can be threaded first and the bead then formed, or the bead formed first and followed by the threading operation. Further, the slight change in the conventional threading machine disclosed herein eliminates the slipping of the tools on the blank or shell, with the consequent disfiguration of the coating; for the threading and beading operations being performed consecutively, though in the desired order. so great a pressure of the tools is not necessary as in 40,

the case of the conventional machines where the threading and curling operations are performed simultaneously. Also, the slight change disclosed I herein causes the threading grooves to exactly match at all times, thereby eliminating the kink or bump which often occurs wherethe thread overlaps on the cap, when the threads are rolled on the conventional machines.

. It is to be particularly noted that all of these advantages are accomplished without requiring t any new equipment, except new rings on the female chuck, and consequently the expense involved is extremely sl ht.

Having iully described the invention, what I claim is: i. A machine for threading and beading metal caps, including two rotatable chucks, said chucks being relatively movable laterally into operative position, knurling, threading and curling rings provided on each'of said chucks, said rings 011- one chuck being of greater diameter than the rings of the other chuck, a thread on the larger threading ring extending substantially halfway around its circumference, a curling groove in I the larger curling ring and extending substan- 5 tially halfway around its circumference, said thread and said groove being oppositely disposed.

2. A machine for threading and beading metal caps, including two rotatable chucks, said chucks being relatively movable laterally into operative position, knurlin threading and curling rings provided on each of said chucks, said rings on one chuck being ofgreater diameter than the rings of the other chuck, a thread on the larger threading ring extending substantially half way 76 the male chuck receiving around its circumference, a curling groove in the larger curling ring and extending substantially half way around'its circumference, said thread and said groove being oppositely disposed, and said curling ring having a circumferentially cut-out portion disposed oppositely to said groove.

3. A machine for" threading and beading metal caps, including rotatable male and female chucks, said chucks being relatively movable laterally into operative position, the male chuck receiving the cap blank, the female chuck being of greater diameter than the male chuck, said female chuck being threaded throughout substantially one half of its circumference and provided with a curling groove throughout substan-. tially the remainder of the circumference, said thread and groove being in different planes.

4. A machine for threading and beading metal caps, including rotatable male and female chucks. the male chuck receiving the cap blank, the fe-- male chuck being of greater diameter than the male chuck, said female chuck being threaded throughout substantially one half of its circumference and provided with a curling groove throughout substantially the remainder of the circumference, said thread and groove being in different planes.

5. A machine for threading and beading metal caps, including rotatable male and female chucks, the male chuck receiving the cap blank, the female chuck being of greater diameter than the male chuck, said female chuck including a threading ring and a curling ring arranged side by side, said threading ring being threaded through only a portion of its circumference, said curling ring having a groove extending through only a portion of its circumference, the active portions of said rings arranged in sequence.

6. A machine for threading and beading metal caps, including rotatable male and female chucks,

the cap blank, the female chuck being of greater diameter than the male chuck, said female chuck including a threading ring and a curling ring arranged side by side, said threading ring being threaded through only a portion of its circumference, said curling ring having a groove extending through only a portion of its circumference, the active portions of said rings arranged in sequence, and means for reversing the sequence.

'7. A machine for threading and beading metal caps, including male and female chucks rotatable about substantially parallel axes, the male chuck receiving the cap blank, the female chuck being of greater diameter than the male chuck, said female chuck including a threading ring and a curling ring arranged side by side, the threading ring having a thread extending about its circumference a sufficient distance to form the thread in the cap, the curling ring having a groove extending about its circumference a distance willcient to form a curled bead around the edge of the cap, the threading ring and curling ring being so positioned radially that one will not become active until the other has substantially completed its operation.

8. A machine for threading and beading caps, including male and female chucks rotatable about substantially horizontal parallel axes, said chucks being movable laterally relatively into cooperative relation, the male chuck provided with knurling, threading and curling rings, the female chuck provided with knurling, threadin and curling rings of greater diameter than those of the male chuck, said rings being arranged side by side on each chuck, the threading ring of the female chuck having a thread extending through substantially one half of its circumference, the

curling ring having a circumferential cut-out portion extending through that. portion of its circumference corresponding with the threaded portion of the threading ring, and a curling groove extending through the remainder of the circumference of the curling ring.'

9. A machine for threading and beading metal caps, including rotatable male and female chucks, the male chuck receiving the cap blank, the fe-' male chuck being of greater diameter than the male chuck; said female chuck being threaded through only a portion of its circumference and provided with a curling groove throughout only a portion of its circumference, the threading portion and the curling portion arranged in sequence.

BERT J. HUNTSMAN. 

